posted on December 12, 2008 23:58

All scale aerobatic pilots should dedicate themselves to running their flight operations in the safest possible manner. All radio controlled model airplanes have the capacity to cause personal injury and property damage, if ill attended to.
IMAC's official policy is to put Safety as the top priority at every IMAC AMA sanctioned contest. Further, every scale aerobatic pilot should put safety first, every time he or she goes to the flying field, just as full scale pilots do.
The following safety guidelines will be in addition to, and a compliment of, the current AMA safety rules.
IMAC strongly encourages all CD's to brief the safety rules of the host club at every pilot meeting. Emphasis should be placed on the fact that these rules
apply not only during the contest but after hours as well. Further, it is IMAC's position that any flying performed by scale aerobatic model airplanes, during, or after event hours must occur on the Flight Line side of the deadline established by the CD. Additionally, no flying should be allowed above, in, or through the pit area, whether a simple pass, torque rolling or any other intentional maneuver. IMAC further believes that any failure to comply with either AMA safety rules or the Host Club safety rules should result in the offending pilot's immediate disqualification from an AMA sanctioned event.
With respect to the trend of ever-dangerous 3D or Freestyle maneuvers being performed by scale aerobatic planes, IMAC, in the strongest possible terms, does not, and will not, tolerate, condone or endorse maneuvers performed with large scale aerobatic planes such as, but not limited to: hand launching, tail touches of the ground, touching the model while in flight, hovering (or flying) directly over the pilot or other spectators, or any flying at any time on the spectator side of the flight line (as described in the AMA Membership Manual). It is important to note that these maneuvers have never been (nor will be) part of any IMAC competition event. It is IMAC's firm position that these types of maneuvers exceed the margin of safety necessary for large scale aerobatic flight operations by a wide basis and are exceptionally dangerous. It is also IMAC's firm position that, in the performance of these types of maneuvers, the slightest mechanical or system failure leaves no margin for error and can lead to severe bodily injury or death. IMAC will, in no way, be a party to, or endorse these types of dangerous stunts.